Interview: Aiga Salmina, SkinFuture. Latvian Clay as the Future of UV Protection

The interview with Aiga Salmina, founder at SkinFuture from Latvia, creating natural UV protection and skincare solutions leveraging advanced materials.

You can listen to the episode with Aiga Salmina on EmpoWomen Podcast:

Or read the interview.

Elevator Pitch

Hi, my name is Aiga Salmina, and I am the founder of SkinFuture. Our innovation is a clay-polyphenol composite material. It’s a natural, non-toxic alternative to the synthetic UV filters that are commonly used in sunscreen products. Our ingredient not only protects the skin from harmful UV rays but also provides antioxidant, anti-aging, and antibacterial benefits.

What inspired you to start this journey?

I started exploring this idea during my master’s studies and am now continuing it in my PhD. I’ve spent years in the lab studying clays and their potential in biomedicine. At one point, I realized that sunscreens are where they can make the biggest difference. I always wondered how it’s possible that by protecting our own skin, we end up harming the environment.

At first, I thought maybe I would create my own sunscreen product line. But after many conversations with mentors, investors, and people from the industry, I understood that it’s a better path to make the ingredient and supply it to cosmetic manufacturers. I am still a PhD student, so I am continuing my research alongside building the startup.

How does your technology work?

We use clay minerals and polyphenols. Our research shows that a specific type of clay found in Latvia can protect the skin from harmful UV rays. What makes it unique is its natural brown color, so it doesn’t leave a “white cast” on the skin.

This clay mineral also has a special layered structure, which allows us to add biologically active ingredients—in this case, polyphenols that we source from coffee and tea waste. As a result, we have a single, multifunctional ingredient that provides UV protection plus antioxidant, anti-aging, and antibacterial benefits.

Who are your customers?

Our business model is B2B. We are focusing on working with European natural beauty brands, ingredient distributors, and cosmetic companies that are actively looking for safe, natural, and sustainable ingredients.

What are the biggest challenges you face?

One of our biggest challenges right now is funding, because the tests we need to do are extremely expensive. We face very strict regulations and have to go through a lot of laboratory and safety tests before our ingredient can be officially recognized as a natural UV filter.

Currently, in cosmetic regulations, there are only two approved natural UV filters: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. They are both completely white ingredients. This creates a huge “formulation nightmare” for cosmetic manufacturers, who have to add extra ingredients to mask the whitening effect. Our solution avoids this, but getting a new ingredient approved is a long and costly process. As a deep-tech startup, everything simply takes time.

Tell us about your team and your journey as a founder.

I’ve been working on this idea for about three years. Right now, I’m the one working in the laboratory, but I’m really proud of my team. We are seven people in total, including some of Latvia’s best experts from industry, academia, and commercialization. I also have my teammate, Liva, who takes care of our social media and educates people about sun protection.

One of the challenging things is that I’m quite young, and sometimes I feel that maybe I’m not taken seriously. However, my scientific background is a plus. When people see I’m a PhD student who has spent years in the lab, they understand that I know what I’m talking about. I love being a female founder in this sector because I want to inspire other young women and show them that science and business can be a path for them.

What has your experience been with the EmpoWomen program?

This is my first international program. I found it on LinkedIn and was excited to apply. It’s been a really great experience. My lead coach, Zane, has helped me so much. One of my favorite parts of the program was the peer-to-peer sessions. We could connect with other female founders, share our journeys, and it was really inspiring. It made me feel like I was part of a really strong female community.

What are your next steps?

We just secured a really big grant, so we now have a plan for the next year to conduct all the necessary tests. After this year of testing, I hope we can start to work directly with cosmetic manufacturers so they can begin testing our ingredient in their product formulations.

What is your ultimate dream for SkinFuture?

I think I will feel like I’ve truly succeeded when I can just walk into a store and buy a product that contains our ingredient. That’s when I’ll feel that my innovation has truly made it.

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